Saathi Annual Banquet

The 11th Fund-raising banquet of Saathi was held at the India Community Center on Saturday, April 25. The highlight of the evening was the address by the survivor, Tania Saini. Tania came to the USA (Poughkeepsie, NY) with her new husband with all the dreams of a newlywed. The dreams were soon shattered when she discovered that the husband was an alcoholic and abusive. The abuse was not only emotional and physical, but also financial. There were days when there was no money even to buy groceries. She sought help from various DV relief organizations (Indian) across the country. Saathi was the only one that responded and came to her rescue. Afshan Qureshi, a counselor of Saathi informed her of the resources available, guided her through separation and divorce, and helped her with fixing her immigration status. Taniaâ€™s presentation brought tears in the eyes of the attendees. Tania now owns a business selling Indian garments.

The keynote speech was given by Mary Whittier, Director of Bivona Childrenâ€™s Advocacy Center. The entertainment was by Arvind Sridhar (vocal) and by the Acapella group of UR: Midnight Ramblers. The food for the Banquet was donated by Amaya Indian Cuisine. Please click on any picture to run the slide show.